Traction control light comes on when car shakes at stop light.

Are you sure you aren't pressing down harder on the brake pedal and activating the hill assist mode? It will beep, and a yellow light will come on (I think).

SCH-I535

 

If the car is not moving, there should not be a traction light that activates

 

+1

 

I think each time you were raising up to do these things your right foot was pressing the brake a little harder and caused the hill assist to kick in, therefore, what you were looking at on the dash was the hill assist light and then when you took your foot off the brake to move forward the hill assist disengaged and the indication on the dash went out. Might not be. Just my theory.

 

Could it also be a "seat belt" light ?
What happens if you raise your weight off of the bottom seat while buckled in ??

 

I didn't think about that. Could very well be it.

 

I'd bet the farm that this is what's happening, given the description of the scenarios and likelihood of putting additional pressure on the brake pedal. In fact, the traction control light does illuminate (and stay illuminated for several seconds) while this feature is active.

I use this feature regularly as I have a very steep driveway, but for those who don't it may be a surprise.

 

Only the passenger side has a pressure sensor in the seat to determine if a large enough person (not child) is in the seat.

 

I did not know that. Just out of curiosity, earlier this morning I tested it in my new Avalon and I raised up and the seatbelt indication did not come on so you are exactly correct.

 

On the passenger side, the sensor is there to know if there is a heavy enough passenger in the seat. If there is, it activates the seat belt light and beep if the belt is not buckled, and the passenger-side air bags. I think their assumption was that when the car was moving, that there would always be a heavy-enough person in the driver's seat, so there was no need for a sensor there.